English Super League club Wakefield Trinity has put the construction of a new 2,500-seat stand at the heart of its Belle Vue redevelopment after submitting a planning application.
The rugby league club said the project at the stadium that it has called home since the 1870s will be “the most significant within the stadium for 75 years”.
The plans, which have been developed since Trinity purchased the freehold of the 9,000-capacity Mobile Rocket Stadium, Belle Vue in March 2019, include construction of a new 2,500-seater East Stand to include a large hospitality and conferencing facility. A 4G pitch suitable for all weather use by both club and the community will be installed.
The West Yorkshire club will also renovate the North Stand terracing to provide an upgrade to spectator amenity in that part of the ground and an increase overall ground capacity. Existing floodlights will be upgraded to the latest LED technology.
Trinity’s plans feature the refurbishment of the existing ‘Rollin Shack’ to provide a multi-functional leisure space including a café and club retail facility.
John Minards, Wakefield Trinity’s chairman, said: “The lodging of this planning application is an important milestone in our journey to redevelop Belle Vue. The structure of the existing East Stand dates from 1924 and the new stand will provide first-class 21st century facilities for our spectators which are well overdue.
“Most importantly however, this phase of our redevelopment plans will provide multi-functional community facilities including conferencing and banqueting space and a café. The 4G pitch will also be available for community use as well as providing an all year-round venue for our first and youth teams.”
The club said the cost of the works will be funded by a significant contribution from Newmarket Lane Ltd, a joint venture between Yorkcourt Developments and Henry Boot Plc, via a S106 contribution and other private funds facilitated by the club’s shareholders.
The club is working with project consultants Turner and Townsend and planning consultants Pegasus Group. The architect is AFL, with Waterman Group as consulting engineers.
Speaking on behalf of the Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation, chair Denise Teal said: “We are delighted that the redevelopment of the Mobile Rocket Stadium is progressing and look forward the great new facilities which will be available to the many diverse groups we work with through the Foundation and increasing still further the varied programmes we offer.”
The application comes almost three years after the club agreed to a redevelopment plan put forward by Wakefield Council in September 2017. The club had previously been focused on developing a new home elsewhere in the city.
In 2012, the club was granted outline planning permission to build a new 12,000-capacity stadium on the site of the former Newmarket Silkstone Colliery, close to junction 30 of the M62.
